Buying a home in Louisiana: the help you may qualify for.
Down payment assistance, property tax exemptions and veteran benefits in Louisiana, gathered from official state sources and explained in plain English. Every program has its own rules, so check with the agency before you count on it.
Down payment and closing cost help
From the Louisiana Housing Corporation.
MRB Assisted
4% of the loan
Forgiven after five years living in the home; income up to 115% of the area median (140% in targeted areas).
HOME/MRB
A 5% to 9% grant
For households under 80% of the area median income; smaller loans get a larger percentage.
Who qualifies: Through a Louisiana Housing Corporation participating lender. Extra help exists in some hurricane-affected parishes.
Property tax exemptions and credits
Exemptions lower your home’s taxable value or your bill. Most aren’t automatic: you apply with your parish assessor. Louisiana’s official exemptions information.
For homeowners who live in the home
Homestead exemption
The first $75,000 of your home's value
Exempts the first $7,500 of assessed value (about $75,000 of market value) from most parish property taxes.
How to apply: With your parish assessor. (Louisiana Constitution, Art. VII, §20)
For homeowners 65 and older
Special assessment level (value freeze)
Freezes your home's assessed value
For homeowners 65 or older, permanently and totally disabled, or veterans with a service-connected rating of 50% or more, with income up to $100,000 (adjusted for inflation from 2026).
How to apply: With your parish assessor. (Louisiana Constitution, Art. VII, §18)
For veterans
Disabled veteran exemption
$2,500 to a full exemption, by rating
An extra $2,500 of assessed value for a 50 to 69% rating, $4,500 for 70 to 99%, and the full value for veterans rated 100% or unemployable. Surviving spouses can qualify.
How to apply: With your parish assessor. (Louisiana Constitution, Art. VII, §21)
Want to see which ones fit you? Answer a few questions in the property tax exemptions checker.
If you serve or served
- VA home loan: available in every state, often with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. You’ll need a Certificate of Eligibility. See VA home loans.
- Property tax: veterans in Louisiana may qualify for Disabled veteran exemption. See the details above.
Your next steps
- Work out a monthly cost you’re comfortable with in the home cost calculator. It also lists Louisiana’s programs with the loans you may qualify for.
- Talk with a free or low-cost HUD-approved housing counselor. Find one near you.
- Ask each lender which of these programs they work with, and compare Loan Estimates from at least three.
- Follow the step-by-step home buyer’s guide from budget to keys.
Common questions
Does Louisiana have down payment help for home buyers?
Yes. Programs from the Louisiana Housing Corporation include MRB Assisted, HOME/MRB. Through a Louisiana Housing Corporation participating lender. Extra help exists in some hurricane-affected parishes. Funding and rules change often, so check with the agency or a participating lender.
Does Louisiana have a homestead or property tax exemption for homeowners?
Yes. Homeowners who live in the home may qualify for: Homestead exemption. Apply with your parish assessor; most exemptions aren't automatic.
Is there help for veterans buying a home in Louisiana?
VA home loans are available in every state, often with no down payment. Veterans may also qualify for property tax benefits such as Disabled veteran exemption.
Sources: Louisiana Housing Corporation and Louisiana’s property tax office, linked above. Last checked November 11, 2026. Programs, amounts, income limits and funding change often, sometimes every year. Know Before You Own doesn’t recommend lenders or take referral fees. This page is general education, not legal, tax or lending advice. See other states.